Will PRINCE2 Help Me Get a Job?

Project Management as a specialised skill-set and career path is becoming increasingly prominent. Ever more new graduates are considering trainee project management roles, for the clear career progression that they offer, the satisfaction of practical application of learned skills to specific projects, and the opportunity for a varied and rewarding career across a wide variety of organisations.

Project Management specialisation is also being recognised as an asset within companies. While subject-matter experts are important for providing specialist skills and understanding of the specific project environment, Project Managers enable these experts to be utilised efficiently within the project structure.

Many organisations specify a professional project management qualification as a necessary or desirable part of the project management job specification. Where a qualification is not required, demonstration of interest and application at a formal level will boost the C.V. of anybody seeking even an entry-level position into a project management environment. Demonstrable project management training enables you to develop a career path independent of industry specialisation, thereby broadening the scope of your professional development.

As well as C.V. points, project management qualifications provide knowledge of established and popular methodologies, confidence in working within a project management environment, and transferable project management skills. Project Managers move from corporate banks to marketing, to hospitals, to engineering. Professional project management training allows you to develop skills that are valuable to organisations across all sectors.

In the UK, and increasingly on a global level, PRINCE2 is the preferred methodology and qualification. Developed by the OGC in 1996, PRINCE2 is the project management method used in all UK government-run projects, as well as in many high-ranking commercial businesses. Founded on the earlier PROMPT and PRINCE project management methods, and shaped by the combined experiences of over 150 European organisations, PRINCE2 offers a set of shared expectations, structures and techniques - in short, a common language - for project management.

Adaptable to the project environment, PRINCE2 is designed to foster an organisation capable of tackling any project that arises. Correspondingly, PRINCE2 training cultivates transferable skills, and therefore enables practitioners to work in a wide range of project environments.

The PRINCE2 qualification consists of two levels, Foundation and Practitioner. At Foundation level, you can expect to gain a thorough knowledge of PRINCE2 principles and terminology, and an understanding of how these concepts interrelate. This qualification is essential for anybody working within a PRINCE2 project management environment.

The success of the PRINCE2 method is built upon the shared language that it creates. A PRINCE2 Project Manager requires a team who are aware of the project strategies that are involved within the method. A Foundation-level qualification demonstrates knowledge of the PRINCE2 method, boosting your suitability for, and your confidence within, a role on a PRINCE2 team.

The PRINCE2 Practitioner qualification takes you beyond knowledge-based competency to challenge your practical analytical and evaluative abilities. By testing practical ability as well as understanding, this qualification demonstrates project management skills outside of a PRINCE2 environment, and is a valuable addition to any C.V. This qualification is a vital accompaniment to project experience when seeking a role at the level of Project Manager or above.

Continuous training and qualification is essential in particular for contract Project Managers. Self-employment means that you are constantly being required to market your skills, and that you are expected to deliver the required goods to a high standard with minimum on-site training. Gaining the Practitioner qualification formalises the project management capabilities that you already have, and enables you to slide smoothly into a PRINCE2 environment.

Project Management is a recognised and well-rewarded professional specialisation. Practical experience is necessary for gaining senior positions, but professional courses boost awareness of established methodologies, confidence in working within project management environments, and the C.V.'s of those interested in a project management career. The PRINCE2 Foundation qualification demonstrates interest and ability in those working within companies that use alternative project management methods, and is essential for anybody seeking work within a PRINCE2 project environment. The PRINCE2 Practitioner Qualification is a rigorous test of practical skills, and is therefore a recognised mark of project management ability.

Simon Buehring is a project manager, consultant and trainer. He works for KnowledgeTrain which offers PRINCE2 training in the UK and overseas. He can be contacted via the KnowledgeTrain prince2 exam website.